Thursday, March 29, 2007

On this day in history: March 29, 1992 - Arkansas Governor and Presidential candidate Bill Clinton tells the New York Times: "When I was in England, I experimented with marijuana a time or two, and I didn't like it. I didn't inhale, and never tried it again."

Born on this day in history: March 29, 1918 - Pearl Bailey (1918 - 1990) singer, actress. She was best known for her starring role in "Hello Dolly", 1967-69.

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The wind continues to howl! The sun is shining brightly, and the sky is blue, but the birds are not singing!

Last night's dinner: I peeled a large sweet potato and cut it into 2-inch cubes. I peeled a large white onion and cut it into six sections. I arranged the sweet potato and onion in a Pyrex baking dish, seasoned with Cajun seasoning, covered with a damp paper towel, and cooked in the microwave on high for seven minutes. I cut the leftover grilled pork tenderloin from Monday's dinner into four sections and added to the Pyrex dish. I covered the dish with aluminum foil and placed it in the oven at 170 degrees for 90 minutes. The white onion was sweet and very tasty, the sweet potato was wonderfully creamy and delicious, and the pork tenderloin was juicy and delightful. The juice that accumulated in the baking dish was incredible. We drizzled it over our sweet potato.

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The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and the birds are singing! It appears that the storm forecast by the weatherpeople has not materialized. New forecasts are for sunshine and temperatures in the high 70s through the weekend.

I sautéed some large Pacific cod fillets for dinner last evening. What a delicious fish this is. We also had pasta salad with shrimp, red bell pepper, Jalapeño peppers, hard-boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, kidney beans, extra-virgin olive oil, and rice wine vinegar.

On this day in history: March 27, 30 - Pontius Pilate condemns Jesus to death.

Born on this day in history: March 27, 1970 - Mariah Carey (1970 - ____) singer. Her high-octane voice that broke sound-barriers, as well as sales records.

Today's Video: Do Not Mess with Chuck Norris!

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The sun appeared yesterday afternoon. This allowed me to grill a large pork tenderloin. I put a Cajun dry rub on the tenderloin, grilled it for five minutes on each side over high flames, and moved it away from the flame, where it continued to roast for 30 minutes. I then placed it in a Pyrex baking dish, covered the dish with aluminum foil, and placed it in the oven at 170 degrees. I placed broccoli and mushroomsseasoned with Cajun seasoningin a covered casserole dish. When Laura arrived at 6:15 PM, she smelled the pork and announced that we would be eating soon! We generally do not eat until 8 PM. She placed the broccoli and mushrooms in the microwave and cooked on high for five minutes. The meal was delightful, and there is sufficient pork remaining for another meal.

The weatherpeople predicted rain for today. It was sunny when I arrived at my office at 7:30 AM. During the last few minutes (it is now 8:05 AM), the sky has become overcast. The weatherpeople may have properly forecast today's weather. I sincerely hope they have not.

Weather Update: It is now 8:30 AM, and it appears the weatherpeople were mistaken! The sun is shining brightly, the sky is blue, the clouds have scattered, and the birds are singing. YES!

Monday, March 26, 2007

On this day in history: March 26, 1830 - Joseph Smith publishes The Book of Mormon, after translating it from golden plates turned over by the angel Moroni. Smith maintained that the text contained in the tablets were written in "Reformed Egyptian" which he read by means of two magic stones from the Old Testament, the Urim and Thummim.

Born on this day in history: March 26, 1944 - Diana Ross (1944 - ____) singer, actress. She was the lead singer of "Diana Ross and The Supremes;" songs include "Stop in the Name of Love," and "Love Child."

Today's Video: Very Large Hail

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We watched "Monster House:" [Monsters under the bed are bad enough, but what happens when an entire house is out to get you? In this Oscar-nominated animated adventure produced by Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg, three teens go up against a decrepit neighboring home and unlock its frightening secrets. The all-star voice cast includes Steve Buscemi, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jon Heder, Jason Lee, Catherine O'Hara, Kathleen Turner and Fred Willard.] This movie was a delightful adventure. I highly recommend it to viewers of all ages.

On this day in history: March 23, 1989 - A 1000-foot-diameter asteroid misses the Earth by only 500,000 miles. Astronomers did not see it until it passed.

Born on this day in history: March 23, 1912 - Wernher von Braun (1912 - 1977) engineer. He pioneered all aspects of rocketry and space exploration, first in Germany and, after World War II, in the U.S.

Today's Video: Barak Obama - 1984!

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The wind has abated! The fierce wind that has been howling relentlessly for the last few days is gone! The sun is shining brightly, the sky is blue, and the birds are singing. It is a beautiful day. It was 51 degrees outside this morning at 7:15 AM according to Mr. Nitro's temperature probe. It was 67 degrees in my office when I arrived here at 7:20 AM. This is grilling weather!

Born on this day in history: March 22, 1908 - Louis L'Amour (1908 - 1988) author. He was a popular writer of 101 books including Western novels and "Hondo," 1953, his first and best-selling novel.

Today's Video: Hillary Clinton - 1984!

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The wind continues. The sun is shining brightly, the sky is blue, and the birds are singing, but it is windy! It would be a perfect day were it not for the wind, which began early yesterday morning and continues.

Born on this day in history: March 21, 1685 - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750) composer, organist. He was a master of church music and Composer of the Baroque era; works include "Brandenburg Concertos," 1721 and "Well-Tempered Clavier," 1722-44.

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SPRING HAS ARRIVED! Today is the first day of spring, and what a beautiful day it is! The sun is shining brightly, the sky is blue with scattered white clouds, and the birds are heralding the arrival of spring with their beautiful songs!

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

On this day in history: March 20, 1968 - The U.S. goes off the gold standard.

Born on this day in history: March 20, 1945 - Pat Riley (1945 - ____) basketball coach. He coached the LA Lakers to four of their five NBA championships in the 1980s; coined (and patented) the phrase "Three-peat."

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Sorry for the Mistake: A man was being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup. As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer.

The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station, where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk, where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car."

On this day in history: March 19, 1957 - Elvis Presley tours and then immediately agrees to purchase the 14-acre Graceland estate from Ruth Moore for $100,000.

Born on this day in history: March 19, 1933 - Philip Roth (1933 - ____) novelist, short-story writer. His works include an acute ear for dialogue, Jewish middle-class life, and painful entanglements, e.g., "Goodbye Columbus," and "Portnoy's Complaint."

Today's Video: Lucy Learns to Run on the Treadmill

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The weatherpeople were wrong! The rain forecast for today has not arrived. It was 67 degrees in my office when I arrived at 7:30 AM. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, there is no wind, and the birds are singing! It was been a relatively dry winter, and we do need rain for the parched earth, but I certainly prefer warm, dry weather!

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was still very warm outside at 7 PM when I tossed two huge New York strip steaks on the grill. Laura dry-rubbed them with a spicy mix and set them on the kitchen counter to reach room temperature. 30 minutes later, I seasoned a casserole dish of green beans with Cajun seasoning and cooked them in the microwave on high for 4 minutes. I tossed the steaks on the grill, over high flames. The flames licked at the steaks, charring their exteriors nicely. The interiors remained nice and rare. The dinner was delightful, and try though we did, we managed to devour only half of our steaks. Some wonderful leftovers await our dining pleasure later in the week.

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While journeying to my office this morning, I saw this unusual scene. Click to enlarge.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, and I would like to wish everyone a safe and festive day!

I received a shipment of whole-grain pasta from Eden Foods Wednesday. Last evening, I cooked a box of Eden Foods gemelli. I sliced red bell pepper, large white mushrooms, and leftover grilled top sirloin. Laura sautéed this in La Conda Ranch extra-virgin olive oil and minced garlic. When this was cooked, she stirred in 2/3 of the gemelli. It was a delightful meal.

Speaking of delightful meals: Laura had Sierra Nevada ahi salad for lunch yesterday and brought a goodly amount of this to me. I shall enjoy it for lunch today!

The updated forecast looks considerably brighter: This beautiful weather is now forecast to extend through Monday. There is the possibility of light showers on Monday, followed by the return of this wonderful weather we have been enjoying!

On this day in history: March 15, Today is the International Day Against Police Brutality, first observed in 1997 after Swiss police beat two children, ages 11 and 12, to death.

Born on this day in history: March 15, 1767 - Andrew Jackson (1767 - 1845) president (7th), soldier, lawyer, planter. He was "Old Hickory" and the military hero of the War of 1812; he introduced the spoils system and boosted expansionism.

Today's Video: Ameriquest Cat Killer - submitted by Chris.

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There is no comment necessary for this photograph!

Beware the Ides of March! Julius Caesar ignored this warning. Let that be a lesson to you!

For dinner last evening, I made black bean chili. I stewed leftover grilled pork tenderloin, sliced white onion, chopped celery, sliced Jalapeño peppers, diced cluster tomatoes, minced garlic, Cajun seasoning, and ground cayenne pepper in Sierra Nevada Pale Ale for two hours. When Laura arrived home, she stirred in a can of black beans and turned the heat to low. It was a delicious chili. We added cubed mozzarella cheese to our bowls at the table, burying the cheese in the chili. The cheese melted and produced strings of gooey cheese while we ate the chili. I enjoyed leftover chili for breakfast.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

On this day in history: March 14, 1968 - Nerve gas leaks from the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, near Skull Valley Utah. The gas killed 1600 sheep on the Goshute indian reservation and made hundreds more sick. Dugway is a test center for chemical and biological agents.

Born on this day in history: March 14, 1879 - Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955) physicist. His theories of relativity revolutionized physics; famous for E = MC squared; won Nobel Prize, 1921.

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For the first time this year, the heating system at the office did not engage. The inside temperature was already 68 degreesthe temperature at which the thermostat is set! The outside temperature was 59 degrees at that time (7:30 AM). The weatherpeople are still forecasting rain for this weekendand the water is certainly neededbut this spring-like weather is certainly wonderful.

We took advantage of the excellent weather and grilled last evening. Laura did a spicy dry rub on two thick top sirloin steaks and grilled them perfectlycharred on the outside and rare in the centeralong with a red bell pepper. I peeled and baked a large sweet potato. It was a delightful meal.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

On this day in history: March 13, 1964 - At 3:15 AM, bar manager Catherine "Kitty" Genovese is raped and stabbed to death outside her apartment building in Queens, NY. None of her 38 neighbors who witness the 32-minute ordeal even bothers to call the cops.

Born on this day in history: March 13, 1892 - Janet Flanner (1892 - 1978) journalist. She wrote "Letter From Paris" for the New Yorker for Almost 50 Years. One of Few Women to Be Awarded French Legion of Honor.

Monday, March 12, 2007

On this day in history: March 12, 1980 - A Chicago jury finds John Wayne Gacy guilty of the murders of 33 men and boys. The next day, he is sentenced to death; after years on death row, Gacy is finally executed in May 10, 1994.

Born on this day in history: March 12, 1922 - Jack Kerouac (1922 - 1969) novelist, poet. He gave the Beat Movement its name and celebrated its code of poverty and freedom in a series of novels, e.g., "On the Road."

Today's Video: Mother's Helper - I am repeating Friday's video since several visitors were unable to view it later in the day, due to a server error.Mother's Helper

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On Saturday, we watched:

Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil: [Led by Lt. Robert James (Nicholas Gonzalez), a team of Navy SEALs is sent to North Korea on a secret mission to knock out a missile site in this high-octane sequel helmed by James Dodson. But when the operation goes awry, four soldiers end up stranded on enemy turf and must battle past rogue forces to carry out the prime objective and ensure the free world's survival. Keith David, Bruce McGill, Shane Edelman and Peter Coyote also star. R - 2006] This was a well-produced, well-acted, suspenseful, patriotic movie. Bruce McGill was particularly good as an over-eager general. We enjoyed this movie and highly recommend it.

Glory Road: [Glory Road tells the true story of Don Haskins (Josh Lucas), a high school basketball coach who, in 1962, took the reins of the Texas Western Miners, an underdog NCAA Division One team. Haskins's insistence on recruiting the best players available to him, regardless of the color of their skin, revolutionized the sport ... and changed the course of history. Director James Gartner's inspiring drama triumphs both on and off the court. PG - 2006] Although it was not planned, we watched this during March Madness. While predictable, the movie was well-acted and exciting. We enjoyed it and highly recommend it. It is excellent entertainment for viewers of all ages.

One Night with the King: [One Night with the King chronicles the brave and historic legend of Hadassah (Tiffany Dupont), a Jewish orphan with exceptional beauty who rises to become Queen Esther of Persia and saves Persian Jews from genocide. By revealing her heritage to the king, Esther thwarts the plan by evil Prime Minister Haman to annihilate all Jews in the Persian Empire. The annual festival of Purim is inspired by Queen Esther's heroism. PG - 2006] The movie is well-produced and well-acted, yet it suffers from a convoluted script which, ultimately, makes the story tedious and somewhat boring. We recommend this movie, although we do so without much enthusiasm.

My mother came to dinner on Sunday. We had grilled pork tenderloin, garlic mashed cauliflower, and steamed green beans. For dessert, we had light vanilla ice cream with fresh strawberries. It was a delightful meal. I intend to make black bean chili with the leftover pork tenderloin.

Following dinner, we watched Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties: [With everything, there is a sequel -- and the silver-screen version of Jim Davis's long-running "Garfield" comic strip is no exception. While traveling in England, Jon Arbuckle (Breckin Meyer) and his girlfriend, Liz (Jennifer Love Hewitt), must rescue Garfield (voiced by Bill Murray) from the clutches of covetous Lord Dargis (Billy Connelly), who mistakes the fat cat for a royal feline with valuable property. PG - 2006] Everyone enjoyed this movie. It is well-scripted, well-acted, and extremely humorous. We all found ourselves laughing loudly and often. We highly recommend this movie. It is wonderful entertainment for viewers of all ages.

On this day in history: March 8, 1968 - A Soviet submarine sinks in the Pacific Ocean, killing all 97 crew members aboard. Later in the year a U.S. submarine secretly retrieves an encryption machine, codebooks, and nuclear warheads from the Soviet vessel.

Born on this day in history: March 8, 1963 - Kathy Ireland (1963 - ____) model. She is best known for modeling swimsuits in Sports Illustrated magazine.

Today's Video: Amazing Child Drummers

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The rain yesterday afternoon was brief. This morning is beautiful! The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and the birds are singing. It was 63 degrees in my office when I arrived at 7:30 AM. The outside temperature was 50 degrees, according to Mr. Nitro's temperature sensor. The forecast for the next 5 days indicates this weather is to continue.

On this day in history: March 7, 1981 - Anti-government guerrillas in Colombia executed kidnapped American Bible translator Chester Allen Bitterman, whom they accused of being a CIA agent.

Born on this day in history: March 7, 1849 - Luther Burbank (1849 - 1926) naturalist, plant breeder. He contributed to the study of genetics by breeding many useful varieties of fruits, vegetables and grains.

Today's Video: Mac vs. PC: The Unspoken Message

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Never accept candy from a stranger! Click to enlarge.

I made chili for dinner last evening: I simmered two pork loin chops, minced garlic, sliced white onion, chopped celery, diced Jalapeños, chopped habanero, diced cluster tomatoes, Cajun seasoning, ground black pepper, and ground cayenne pepper in Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. When this had simmered for two hours, I shredded the pork and added two cans of small red beans, reduced the heat to low, and allowed Laura to perform a taste test upon the juice. She declared it delightful. We ate two hours laterfollowing two episodes of "King of Cars"and it was wonderful. Laura scurried off to work this morning with leftovers in tow.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

The Convenient Lie - Al Gore full of hot air over global warmingHang Time - paraglider survives 3 days dangling from treeCrash! - Alaska moose brings down helicopter

On this day in history: March 6, 1836 - Alamo seized by Santa Ana, 3,000 versus 147 not being a fair fight. The holdouts suffered unnecessary deaths, disobeying direct orders by remaining, and losing their arms and cannon to the Mexicans.

Born on this day in history: March 6, 1475 - Michelangelo (1475 - 1564) painter, sculptor, architect, poet. He led the High Renaissance with monumental style, e.g., "David," 1504 and "Paintings of Sistine Chapel," 1508-12.

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Thank you, Father, for this glorious day you have given us! The sun is shining brightly, the sky is blue, the clouds are scattered and fluffy, and the birds are singing! It was 63 degrees in my office when I arrived at 7:30 AM! For the first time in several months, there was no need for a jacket this morning!

It has been six weeks since we have eaten carbohydrates. We have been following the South Beach Diet. Last evening, we made garlic mashed sweet potatoes (the potato highly favored by the South Beach Diet). They were wonderful! They were a perfect companion to the sautéed catfish fillets.

On this day in history: March 5, 1982 - John Belushi found dead at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood from a cocaine and heroin overdose. A sketchy woman, Cathy Smith, is later charged with administering the fatal injections.

Born on this day in history: March 5, 1908 - Rex Harrison (1908 - 1990) actor. His natural environment was theatrical light comedy in which elegance was preferred to depth, and urbanity to rough edges.

Today's Video: How to Draw a Car in Microsoft Paint!

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On this day in history: March 2, 1968 - Syd Barrett leaves Pink Floyd, after melting his mind with various extremely dangerous drugs. He spends the following years mumbling about pork chops and refrigerators.

Born on this day in history: March 2, 1904 - Dr. Seuss (1904 - 1991) author, illustrator. Theodore Seuss Geisel launched the "beginner" book industry with "Cat in the Hat," 1957.

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The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the clouds are sparse and fluffy, there is no wind, and the birds are singing! It appears today will be extraordinarily beautiful and will herald a lovely weekend. Praise God for the glorious day he has given us!

On this day in history: March 1, 1932 - A man climbs a makeshift ladder to the 2nd floor of Charles Lindbergh's New Jersey home and snatches his twenty-month-old son, Charles Jr. Whoever took the baby left behind a poorly-written ransom note demanding $50,000 in small bills.

Born on this day in history: March 1, 1917 - Dinah Shore (1917 - 1994) singer, actress. She began singing in 1938; won ten Emmys for various TV shows including "Dinah Shore Chevy Show," 1956-63; advocate and promoter of sports for women.

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Today's Video: Welcome Home

It is cold again today. It was 41 degrees outside this morning, according to Mr. Nitro's temperature display. It was 56 degrees inside my office at that time (7:30 AM). Fortunately, there is very little wind. There is the possibility of sunshine today. The sun appears to be attempting to emerge from behind the clouds. Hopefully, it will soon appear and warm the world outside my (now 68-degree) office.

Of course, there is also the possibility that the sun will continue to hide, the wind will come, and rain will fall. Yikes! What a dismal possibility that is!